Between Sheets
by Salix15
Summary: 2nd in my Faberry series.  The Monday after they made the big announcement at the party, Quinn and Rachel finally open up to the rest of the Glee Club about how the unlikely couple got together.  I suck at summaries, sorry.
1. Chapter 1

Monday at McKinley High was a crazy day. The entire student body seemed to be buzzing, and the energy in the air was definitely palpable. As soon as Quinn and Rachel walked through the main doors of the school, they could feel it. As they walked down the hall together, they noticed everyone glancing at them and whispering. Quinn didn't care. She had gotten used to that after her baby bump started showing. Rachel, on the other hand, was furious.

"So much for keeping it in the Glee Club until we were ready to come out publicly," she said as they headed for her locker. Quinn could understand the other girl's fury, but that didn't wipe the smile off her face. "I wonder which of them told. I bet it was Finn. He's obviously upset that we're together so he spread a nasty rumor, and now it's all over school."

Quinn had to force herself not to roll her eyes at Rachel's words. She knew what she was getting herself into when she asked the diva to be her girlfriend, so to act like she didn't see this coming would be stupid. "I don't think it can be considered a rumor if it's true, and in their defense, we never said we wanted to keep it private. You just kind of blurted it out," Quinn said, and tried as hard as she could to hide her smile when Rachel sent her a nasty glare. The blonde wanted to wrap her in a big hug for looking so cute when angry, but she knew that would just feed the gossip mill, and she didn't want Rachel even more upset.

"Oh, you're just loving this, aren't you?" she asked, her voice dripping with venom. "You wanted to come out and now we're out." This time Quinn had to really fight not to roll her eyes. She knew that Rachel was going to have a bad reaction the moment Santana called her that morning to let her know that the whole school was talking about them, but she didn't know Rachel would ever point that anger at her, and it was a bit out there. "You know, I really wouldn't be surprised if it turns out you were really the one who e-mailed Jacob."

"Don't be ridiculous," Quinn said with a little laugh. She knew she was going to get hell later for not taking Rachel's emotions seriously, but it was either laugh it off or get into a fight, and she really didn't want to fight with her girlfriend when things between them were still a little tense from the previous weekend. "I would never do anything like that to you, and deep down I think you know that." She couldn't help but smile when Rachel went from looking angry to a little guilty. "There, now don't you feel bad for saying something so mean?"

Rachel nodded her head, and a small pout formed on her face as she did so. But then her expression changed; it became more serious, and her posture straightened. "I know what you're doing, Quinn, and it's not going to work," she said and pulled her books out of her locker, but didn't close the door. "You're trying to guilt trip me into seeing this as a good thing, when it's not. I'm not ready for all of this." She glanced around the hall, and Quinn followed her gaze. It was a little unnerving to see so many people occasionally stare at them, and then go back to whispering. She was just glad she wasn't on the Cheerios anymore because who knew how Coach Sylvester would react.

"Alright, look at it like this," Quinn said and slowly took Rachel's books out of her hand. The diva accepted the gesture without hesitation, and Quinn was happy about that. "Think of this as a trial run for when you're a celebrity. Once you make it on Broadway, the paparazzi are going to be stalking you, fans are going to make websites dedicated to you, people in restaurants are going to see you and react like this."

Rachel got a far off look on her face as she contemplated Quinn's words. The blonde waited patiently for the brunette to come back to earth, a small smirk on her face the whole time.

"I never thought about it like that," she said and looked into Quinn's eyes with a look of confusion and disbelief. "How are you being so calm about all of this? They're not just spreading rumors about me. You're involved just as much."

Quinn knew it was a risky thing to do, but she reached out and held onto Rachel's hand, lacing their fingers together. She wanted to show Rachel that she wasn't afraid, and thankfully the diva didn't react badly to the subtle PDA.

"The way I'm looking at it is like this: people are going to be talking about it for a while whether we like it or not, and we can either ignore it and just be happy together, or we can get upset and mad and waste our energy trying to stop something we can't control," she said, lightly rubbing her thumb over Rachel's. The diva looked at her with a look of awe, and Quinn blushed slightly. She hadn't meant to sound so corny, but apparently the diva wasn't looking at it like that at all. Before Rachel could speak, Quinn quickly added, "Getting pregnant made me realize a lot of things, and learning that you can't control what people say behind your back is one of them."

She watched as Rachel thought about that, and she waited for her to finish processing her words. She knew that the other girl was going to have a hard time with this, not being used to so much attention especially for a personal reason, so she was taking it upon herself to try and guide Rachel through the rocky part. She just hoped the diva wouldn't become addicted to being in the limelight for the wrong reasons. She didn't want them to become a spectacle for other's entertainment so the diva could get her attention fix.

"Remember what I said about this being a trial run for the paparazzi?" Quinn asked and it snapped Rachel back to reality. The diva nodded her head, and turned, following Quinn's gaze as the blonde looked at something down the hall. "Well, here's a perfect chance to practice what to say when they start asking personal questions."

Rachel let out a little groan when she saw Jacob walking down the hall, microphone in hand, with one of his A/V club buddies behind him holding a camera. But as soon as they got near, she plastered on her big smile and stood a little closer to Quinn, trying to appear as coupley as possible.

"Jacob Ben Israel coming to you from McKinley," the boy said into the camera and the girls waited. There was no point trying to get away since he would follow them until they finally relented. "Standing behind me are none other than Quinn Fabray and Rachel Berry, now Glee's own poster children for how the arts turn you gay." They both rolled their eyes at that, but didn't say anything. If they argued or caused a scene it would only add fuel to the fire. The boy turned to them, still looking into the camera, which was now pointed straight at their faces. "Rachel, can you confirm the rumor that your romance with McKinley's former head cheerleader is a desperate attempt for attention?"

"I cannot confirm that because it isn't true," she said, remaining calm even though she wanted nothing more than to demand who told him that and storm off. "What I feel for Quinn is genuine, and the thought that I would use her for attention is hurtful and untrue." She looked up at the blonde with a big smile on her face. Only this smile wasn't just for show like the one she was wearing when Jacob walked up. Quinn could tell this was a real smile, and it showed just how happy Rachel was. Either that or her acting skills had greatly improved.

"That sounded rehearsed," the boy said into the camera and then turned his attention to Quinn. She was fighting the urge to get mad and show him just how wrong he was. She didn't act on that because she knew it would upset Rachel. Being defensive would only make everything think they had something to hide. "Quinn, is it true your sudden interest in Sapphic relations is a way to avoid getting pregnant again?" Quinn was not expecting that question at all, and had a bite the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing.

"That isn't true," she said and glanced over at Rachel to see her reaction. The diva's expression was neutral, completely unreadable, and it freaked Quinn out a little. "My interest in Rachel goes way beyond the physical." That made Rachel smile, but Quinn couldn't help herself at all, even though she barely tried. "The not being able to get pregnant is just a perk." She knew Rachel was going to be mad at her for that, but she just couldn't resist having a little bit of fun. It didn't matter what they said because Jacob would just edit it to his liking no matter what, so what did it matter?

"That's all for now. We have to get to class," Rachel said, her voice stern and was in complete contradiction to the smile on her face. Her grip on Quinn's hand was near bone crushing as she stormed off with the blonde right at her heels trying to keep up. She didn't want to make a public scene, not with the camera rolling and so many others watching them, so she channeled her annoyance into Quinn's hand. She knew it was probably a bad idea, but she was so angry with the blonde, she couldn't force herself to care.

Quinn, on the other hand, couldn't wipe the smile off her face even though she knew she was going to have bruises on her skin from Rachel's iron grip. She was a little surprised to see that instead of walking to class, Rachel marched into the bathroom and as soon as the door was closed behind them, she dropped the blonde's hand and turned to face the former cheerleader. She had a look of irritation and fury on her face that was so pure, Quinn was surprised she didn't burst into flames on the spot.

"Why would you say something like that?" she yelled. She tried to keep her voice under control, but she failed miserably. "People are already talking about us behind our backs, and now you're just giving them fodder." She could see it in Quinn's eyes that she didn't understand, and it drove the little diva crazy. One of the things that Rachel liked about Quinn the most was they understood each other. They had urges they wanted to work out without anyone else knowing so they agreed to explore those desires with each other. When the desires turned into emotions toward each other they agreed they both wanted more. But now Quinn wasn't on the same page, and it was driving Rachel nuts.

"Rachel, you're overreacting," Quinn said, and put her hands on her hips. She knew what she was getting into when she wanted to date the most overdramatic girl in the school, but sometimes Rachel just went too far and needed to be brought back to earth. "It was just a dumb joke." She got a little smirk on her face, and she knew she probably shouldn't say what she wanted to, but she just couldn't help herself. "Besides, you have to admit I had a point." The little diva let out a big huff and crossed her arms over her chest. She knew Quinn was right, but she wasn't willing to admit that out loud.

"It doesn't matter, Quinn. I don't want people thinking we're having sex," she said and got a big pout on her face. She knew how the girls who had sex were talked about behind their backs. Sure, the boys were cool for hooking up with various cheerleaders and other "easy targets," but the girls, what people said about them….Rachel didn't want that to be her. She didn't want people to act like they were her friend and then turn around and call her a tramp behind her back.

"People are thinking it anyway," Quinn said, and Rachel let out another little huff. The blonde knew that the diva had a hard time accepting the truth. She was talking to the girl who at one point truly believed Finn Hudson was her soulmate; clearly her imagination got the better of her sometimes. But telling her the truth was harder than Quinn thought it would be. Rachel wanted to live in this little fantasy world and Quinn wanted to enable her, even though she knew, in the long run, it wasn't for the best. "We shared a bed at the party so whoever told probably said we slept together."

"Well, technically we did _sleep_ together," Rachel mumbled and Quinn couldn't force the small smile to vanish from her face. "Just not in the way everyone else is thinking." When tears started to form in the diva's eyes, Quinn stopped thinking any of this was funny. She knew that Rachel was going to be upset, but these weren't the "stage tears" she had been expecting. These looked genuine. Rachel looked like she was holding herself back and trying not to cry. Quinn had been expecting a big emotional blowout that ended with tears and a storm off. Not this.

"Hey, what's the matter?" she asked and wrapped her arms around Rachel. The diva didn't hug her back; she didn't even unfold her arms. She just stood there and let Quinn hold her. She didn't want Quinn to see her like this, but she couldn't leave or else the whole school would see her like this, and that was much worse. Quinn gently rubbed Rachel's back and waited for the diva to be ready. She didn't want to force anything out of the other girl even though she knew it might be a while.

"I just don't want this getting around," Rachel said with a small sniffle. She sounded heartbroken and it pulled at Quinn's inside more than she would have thought. She didn't like seeing Rachel upset and it was affecting her in a very powerful way. "I haven't told my dads about us, about any of this, and I want them to hear it from me. I don't want them hearing from some random person that their little girl is a lezzy tramp who gets drunk at parties and sleeps with the future prom queen." Quinn couldn't help but smile just a little. Even when the diva was upset, she still had the schoolgirl fantasy of Quinn being queen.

"Rachel, they would never think that about you. I only met your dads the once and we didn't talk for very long, but they seem really warm and loving. Even if they think that for a second, they'll let you explain. They'll believe you when you tell them we haven't done anything major," Quinn said and her own eyes filled with tears. What she wanted to say was, "your parents aren't like mine" and "they're not cold enough to throw you out like my parents did when I was pregnant," but she didn't want to make this about her.

"You don't know that, Quinn. They could be furious with me for hiding this from them," she said and finally wrapped her arms around Quinn's body. She hugged her tightly, as if Quinn were a life preserver in the middle of a hectic ocean. "What if they don't approve of us? No offense or anything, but since the pregnancy not a lot of adults want you to be friends with their daughters, let alone date their sons, and I don't know how understanding my dads are going to be of the situation. And although the thought of being a forbidden romance is appealing, they never work out well. Either we both die or one of us gets sent to boarding school."

Quinn smiled and couldn't help but roll her eyes at the diva's melodramatic words. "Rach, we're not going to be star-crossed lovers destined for a life of love and doom," she said and couldn't help but smile at Rachel's little huff. "It might take your dads a while to get used to it, but how mad could they be about it, right? That would be totally hypocritical of them."

Rachel nodded her head and pulled back just enough to look into the blonde girl's eyes. She wished she could get lost in them all day but unfortunately at that moment the bell rang, signally they had five minutes to get to class or they would be late.

"You always know just what to say," she said and left a sweet kiss on her girlfriend's lips. She smiled and pulled away. She knew her eyes were going to be red and a little puffy from crying, but she didn't care. She knew at the end of the day, she and Quinn were going to sneak into her house to spend some time together, and that always put her in a better mood. "I'll miss you today. I could really use some Quinn-cuddles when we get to my house."

Quinn couldn't stop her smile from growing even if she tried. She had no idea being in a relationship where she didn't have to hold back on the "girliness" would feel so good.

"Well then that's exactly what you'll get. But remember, we don't have to wait anymore. You can sit on my lap in Glee Club. If Mr. Schue says anything about it, then we'll just remind him that Tina sits in Mike's lap all the time, and it isn't fair to only ban us from doing it," she said and Rachel got a big smile on her face. She was rubbing off on Quinn in a way she never thought she would. The blonde was starting to become more of an activist about certain things. She was standing up not only for herself, but as a representative for a community. Rachel couldn't help but feel proud.

"It'll be the best New Directions meeting yet," she said and gave Quinn a quick kiss on the lips before she practically skipped out of the bathroom.

Quinn stayed behind for a few seconds so she could watch Rachel leave. Santana was right when she said the way Rachel dressed was similar to the bait girls on "To Catch A Predator," but at that moment she didn't care. She never cared when the diva's outfit involved a skirt that short, and watching Rachel rush out of the room sent a thrill up Quinn's spine and caused a very uncomfortable pool of moisture to gather in her cotton undies. Rachel would be the death of her, she just knew it.


	2. Chapter 2

For the first time in New Directions history, Quinn beat Rachel to the choir room that afternoon for their meeting. As soon as the blonde walked through the door, all of the other students stopped talking, and their gazes fixated on her. Quinn became a little self-conscious under the intense stares, and walked silently to her seat. She didn't know why everyone was making such a big deal about it. When Kurt came out no one batted an eyelash over it. Though, that could have had something to do with the fact that his effeminate personality gave him away. For all everyone in Glee Club knew, Quinn was one hundred percent straight, and now she was in a relationship with their leading lady. When put like that she could totally understand the confused stares.

"Ok, Quinn, we're all dying to know," Mercedes said as she got up from her seat and walked over to the blonde. Quinn felt a little on-edge as her friend sat down next to her. It was a very unnerving feeling. Normally being near Mercedes made her feel safe, but today she felt exposed, and she didn't like that feeling at all. Now she completely understood Rachel's temper tantrum earlier about sharing too much of their relationship with the general population of the school. "I don't think you and Rachel are faking. I think you guys really care about each other." That made Quinn smile. It was really comforting knowing at least one person was on their side. "But how the hell did you two get together?"

"Yeah," Tina said, scooting her chair a little closer to the others'. "Was there some kind of black magic involved? You two are always at each other's throats. The two of you getting together romantically just seems unnatural."

Quinn couldn't help but smile as she remembered when it all happened. She bit her bottom lip as she debated telling the others. Rachel might be mad if she told, but on the other hand, these girls were their friends. If they couldn't confide in each other then who could they talk to? And if either one of them was a guy, they wouldn't hesitate before they shared the story of how it all came together.

"There was no black magic, though, that hasn't been proven so who knows? Maybe some evil witch is in a tower casting some spell to keep us together," she said with a little laugh and the other two chuckled. Their laughter quickly died down, and Quinn realized that they had been pity laughs for a bad joke. "It happened a couple of months ago. I can't remember what assignment Mr. Schue gave us, but I was having trouble picking a song. The last person I wanted to ask for help was Rachel, but she's one of the best when it comes to this stuff so I thought, 'What could it hurt?' So we were in the auditorium going over songs and we decided to take a break…"

_**Flashback to three months ago**_

"Can we stop for a little while?" Quinn asked and put her hand to her throat. She hadn't warmed up properly like she had told Rachel and her vocal cords were starting to suffer. "I need a drink of water if I'm going to do anymore." That was the fifth song that she had sung for the little diva. Mr. Schue had given them another assignment to work on at home, but Quinn was having trouble. She just couldn't find a song that spoke to her, and if anyone knew about connecting music with emotions it was Rachel freaking Berry – the drama queen of McKinley High.

"Of course. Staying hydrated is important for your voice. It will help stop your vocal cords from becoming sore and overworked, which is bad because that could cause serious damage and if we have any chance at all of winning Regional's and National's this year we're going to need your amazing alto," she rattled off mostly because she didn't know what to say. She didn't know why she was always like this around Quinn. With anyone else it wouldn't be this awkward. Even she and Santana had things to talk about other than singing and proper technique. True, it wasn't anything nice, but at least it was more than babbled words of advice said in a desperate attempt to fight off the silence.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Quinn said as she twisted the lid off the water bottle and took a long sip. Did she just say my voice is amazing? She thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowing just a little. Quinn knew her voice wasn't Broadway worthy, not like Rachel's, but she had been getting praise about it since she was a little girl. Church choir was a big part of her life growing up, but since she started singing for the New Directions and found a better outlet for her voice, she had stopped singing for the church. She didn't get praised as often for her voice, but at least she had an emotional outlet. But if Rachel Berry was giving her praise, did that mean she was finally being validated as a singer?

"So, how are you and Finn doing?" the blonde asked after a few very tense moments of silence. Rachel looked up from her sheet music, her eyes wide and she looked a little panicked. The response peaked Quinn's curiosity, but she tried not to show it. She didn't want Rachel thinking she asked for malicious reasons. The back and forth between them over which one of them would eventually win Finn's heart was tiring, and she didn't want to get into it today. Especially not now that she knew Finn Hudson was not the boy she wanted to end up with.

"It seems as though Finn is doing just fine, but he can be kind of hard to read sometimes. As far as Finn and I, there isn't a Finn and I anymore. We broke up two weeks ago. I just didn't want anyone to know about it. I don't think I could have handled the I-told-you-so's," the brunette said, and Quinn's stomach clenched when she saw the hurt on Rachel's face. The feeling confused her. She had never felt this way before whenever Rachel was hurt, which was often. The diva lived in a very melodramatic fantasy of what high school is supposed to be, but this time the sadness in her eyes affected Quinn.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," she said, and the brunette let out a little scoff at her words. It made her cheeks flare with anger, but she couldn't blame the diva for it. If she were Rachel she probably wouldn't believe a word she said either. "I mean that. I know you don't have any reason to believe me, all things considered, but he made you happy, and I'm sorry it didn't work out." Quinn wasn't sure who was more surprised at her words, Rachel or herself, but she hadn't meant to say that much. It had just slipped out and there was no taking it back now. The weird thing was: she didn't want to take it back.

"Thank you, Quinn, but your words are a little bittersweet. I'm sure you'll understand with our history on the subject that it's hard for me to take those words at face value," she said, rifling through her sheet music once again. She stopped when her eyes fell on a particular page, and her eyes filled with tears for a moment. She was able to blink them away before they cascaded down her cheeks, and Quinn held her breath for a moment as she watched the emotion play across the other girl's face. "I'm sorry, it's just I worked really hard on this song I was going to sing to him in Glee Club. It's pointless now, right?" There was another moment of silence, and Quinn finally cracked under the tension.

"Sing it to me," Quinn said before she could stop herself. Rachel looked up at her with another surprised, and also confused, look. The blonde didn't let that get in the way of what she had to say, even though she felt really nervous about it. Why she felt so nervous, she didn't know. They were working on an assignment for Glee Club together. The thought of Rachel not singing just because they were picking a song for Quinn was a stupid one. "If you spent so much time on it, it would be a shame to let that go to waste, right? So I'll listen while I'm resting my voice. Then we can get back to work."

Rachel got a far off look in her eyes as she thought about the former cheerleader's words. "I did spend a lot of time learning how to play it on the piano instead of having Noah play it on the guitar. I think the piano piece sounds more romantic than the band's version," she said and she looked into Quinn's eyes. "It would be a waste of my time if no one ever heard it."

She gathered up the sheet music and set the pages on the piano. She sat down, straightening her back, and remembering to breathe. She didn't know why she was so nervous playing this for Quinn, but her hands felt a little shaky at just the thought of doing so. "If I start to cry just remember it's my training in the dramatic arts. It's almost second nature at this point." Quinn couldn't help but laugh a little, but forced herself to be silent when the diva started playing.

When Rachel started singing, the blonde couldn't quite catch her breath. She had heard Rachel sing many times before, and her performances always had a lot of emotion in them, but a lot of it was staged. Rachel's background and desire to be a Broadway actress meant she was really good at conveying emotions she didn't actually feel. Quinn could feel all of the emotion radiating off the brunette this time, and it was hypnotic. By the middle of the second verse she was sitting on the piano bench next to the diva, her eyes never leaving Rachel's face. She didn't know what it all meant but at that moment she was too caught up in everything else to care.

"All that I am," Rachel sang, and looked up from the piano and straight into Quinn's eyes. The blonde felt a jolt shoot straight up her spine. She didn't know why or what it meant, but it made something settle in her belly, a feeling she couldn't describe. She wanted to look away from Rachel, the emotions were too real, too tense, too out in the open, but it was like her body was betraying her. "All that I ever was is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see." Quinn felt her skin heat up, and she knew she was flushed, but for the life of her, she couldn't come up with an explanation as to why.

"I don't know where, confused about how as well. Just know that things will never change for us at all," the diva sang and looked back down at the keys as she played the next part. Her voice lowered in volume, but the tone was just as haunting, and Quinn found herself leaning forward just a little to hear her better. "If I lay here, if I just lay here, will you lie with me and just forget the world?" Rachel took a big breath after she sang the last note and took her hands away from the piano. She didn't feel overwhelmed with regret or hurt like she thought she would. The breakup with Finn wasn't creating the emotional turmoil she thought it would, which made performing that song a little easier, but just as terrifying since the blonde still hadn't looked away.

"So what did you think? I know you've heard that song before, so was I right in thinking translating it to a piano made it sound a little more romantic?" she asked and looked over at the girl who was still staring at her. As soon as her head was turned, the blonde leaned forward, closing the distance between them. Quinn's lips were on hers before she even had time to blink. Her eyes went wide with surprise and panic, but as the blonde's soft lips caressed hers in a gentle tug and pull of pressure and release, she relaxed and closed her eyes. She gave herself to the kiss, her mind swimming with so many questions, so many different voices screaming at her to stop, to pull away, to keep going, to deepen it. Eventually they pulled away to breathe, and Quinn looked just as surprised as the diva felt.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I-" she started, but was cut off by the diva's lips on her own. Unlike Rachel, Quinn didn't hesitate before she gave herself to the kiss. It was a little rough, and she thought for a second that maybe her lips would be bruised afterward, but she didn't care. She brought her hand up to Rachel's face and gently caressed her cheek with her thumb. She couldn't help but smile at the feel of their hot breath rushing out through their noses. They pulled back from the kiss, but remained centimeters away from each other. They looked into each other's eyes, Quinn's green searching Rachel's deep brown for any signs that she wanted to stop. There were none.

Quinn smiled a little and kissed Rachel again, her eyes slipping closed as a small moan reverberated at the back of her throat. She scooted closer to the other girl, their bodies pressing together, and Quinn knew it should feel weird. She knew that kissing another girl was wrong, even if she was supportive of Santana and Brittany that didn't mean she should fall off the path of righteousness, too. But she couldn't feel guilty at that moment. At that moment she felt something in herself that she'd never felt before. Kissing Rachel made her feel like she finally belonged, which made her feel nothing but confused as to why.

_**End flashback**_

"So that's how it really happened? Rachel sang you a song and you couldn't help yourself?" Mercedes asked and looked over at Tina. The two started laughing, and Quinn's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't know why her friends were having this reaction but she wasn't going to get mad until they had a chance to explain. Ok, so she was a little mad, but she wasn't going to hold it against them. Much. "I'm sorry, Quinn, but that's so corny. That sounds like something out of one of those horrible romantic comedies."

Quinn rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. It did sound pretty farfetched, but it was the truth, and it was romantic, and she wasn't going to let anything ruin that for her.

"So that was it? You guys made out once and decided to be a couple?" Sam asked and Quinn's eyes glared daggers until she saw the look on his face. He wasn't being mean, like it sounded, he was genuinely curious. Quinn's gaze softened and she looked down at her lap. She really didn't want to say the next part. She didn't come off in such a good light, and she didn't want her friends to think badly of her. Though, if she was worried about that maybe she shouldn't have been so mean to everyone for the last couple of years. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything she was interrupted.

"Ok, guys, we have a long day ahead of us," Mr. Schue said as he walked into the room. She let out a little sigh of relief and all of the tension in her shoulders melted away. "I know that's not what you guys want to hear, but Nationals is going to be here before we know it, and we don't want to show up empty-handed." Quinn couldn't help but smile as some of the kids rolled their eyes at Mr. Schue's words. But the smile went away and was replaced with a look of confusion and worry. Glee Club had already started, and Rachel was nowhere to be seen or heard. Even though she tried to stay calm, she couldn't help the ball of anxiety that was growing inside her, and she hoped the diva would be there soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel stood at her locker, putting her books away after her final class. She had a big smile on her face that she couldn't make go away even if she tried. To be honest, she wasn't really trying. She didn't see why she should. She and Quinn were out. Yes, the decision was taken out of their control and made for them, but other than Jacob's rude interview, nothing bad had happened. There were no slushie facials followed by words of hate, and no angry mobs coming after her to dangle her from the flagpole. No, it was a day that was full of mixed emotions at first, but now she'd finally settled on just one emotion: happiness.

After she put her books away, she closed the locker door and turned around. She took in a big breath of air and very slowly exhaled it as she looked around the hall. Only two more years left and she would be out of this school forever. She would go to college, make her debut on Broadway, marry Quinn, have a couple of little Berry-Fabray's, and only come back to this cesspool of a town to visit her fathers on holidays and other special occasions. Her smile got a little bigger when she saw a couple walking down the hall holding hands. It made her just a little giddy at the thought of finally being able to do that with Quinn.

"Hey, faggot!" she heard the boy yell and it snapped her out of her daydreaming. Her eyebrows furrowed and she glanced over at him, confused. One day, all she wanted was one whole day to go without being picked on, bullied, abused, or hated. Was that too much to ask for? Just one day where she got to be a person without other people trying to bring her down by throwing in their two cents. But she didn't understand why this particular boy was acting this way. He wasn't on the football team, and she had never seen him before in her life, so why was he being so mean? "Keep your filthy eyes off my girlfriend!" Her eyes filled with tears that she tried desperately to keep at bay.

"What the hell did you just say to her?" Rachel heard someone say. She looked over to see Puck walking down the hallway, his backpack slung over one shoulder. He looked furious as he practically stalked towards the other boy. The guy and his girlfriend stopped walking and turned to face Puck. The boy, who Rachel didn't recognize at all, looked a little nervous, and she couldn't really blame him. Puck had a reputation, after all, for being a total badass. She wanted to step in and say something, but she was quickly losing the battle to keep her tears under control.

"None of your business, man," the boy said, and stood up a little taller, trying to look intimidating. Rachel could tell that Puck wasn't falling for it. His jaw was clenched, and he kept tightening and relaxing his fists as if he were using every ounce of self-control not to hit this kid. "That freak was staring at my girl." Even though she knew she shouldn't let it to get her, his words cut through her. More tears started flooding her eyes and cascading down her face. She became angry and frustrated with herself for being unable to control it.

"I don't care what she was doing," Puck said, getting nose to nose with the other guy. He was a little taller, but Puck didn't care, and the glare on his face was enough to burn the hair off a cat. "You ever even look at her again, and I'll slam your face against a wall." He slammed his fist into the locker he was standing next to. The sound of it reverberated off the walls, making some of the kids who had stopped to watch jump in surprise. "Now get the hell out of here before I kick your ass." The boy's girlfriend pulled him away, and wisely he left. Rachel was glad that the ordeal was over, but she knew it wasn't going to be the only time someone said something like that to her.

"Are you ok?" Puck asked as he walked over to her. She was dabbing her eyes, trying as hard as she could to get the tears to go away and save her makeup, but she had a feeling it was a lost cause. To her surprise, Puck just stood there waiting for her to answer. He didn't bug her to say anything, and he didn't get impatient and walk away. He just waited for her to be ready to talk. She didn't think he would ever show her that kind of consideration, and she was a little suspicious as to where this suddenly was coming from.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank you," she said, her tone sounding a little clipped as she picked up her bag, and started walking down the hall. He walked next to her, and for a few seconds she watched him out of the corner of her eye still trying to figure out exactly what he was up to. "You didn't need to do that, Noah. I could have handled it. I guess I need to get used to stuff like that now, don't I? Quinn and I were outed to the whole school. Some people are bound to hate us." She was trying really hard not to feel sorry for herself, and to focus on what Quinn had told her earlier that day, but after an incident like that it was really hard to see the silver lining.

"Screw that," Puck said, and Rachel looked up at him in surprise. He seemed genuinely agitated and concerned for her, and it was throwing her for a loop. "If anyone ever gives you crap, you tell me. No one is going to give my Jewish princess a hard time for being in the hottest couple in the whole damn school." She couldn't help the little smile that pulled at her lips. He was being uncharacteristically nice to her, but he was still Puck.

"That's sweet of you, and while I appreciate the sentiment, that wouldn't be a good idea. I need to learn to stand up for myself, and that's never going to happen if you're constantly trying to be my Knight with an Awesome Mohawk," she said, and they both laughed a little. "Quinn pointed out that this is a good trial run for what things might be like when I try to make my debut on Broadway, and I think she's right." She didn't mean to sound so sad when she said that, but the thought of anyone saying something that harsh to her again was really depressing.

"Quinn's normally right about everything. Just don't tell her I said that," he said and Rachel couldn't help but laugh. "And she seems to be a good knight in shining armor. The way she stood up for you guys at the party. I've seen Quinn get scary before, but that was ridiculous." A big smile formed on Rachel's face as she thought about the way Quinn acted. She had no idea the blonde would be so protective of her. Not just at the party, but in the halls too when that jock made fun of Rachel and Quinn almost bit his head off.

"She does seem to be very protective of me. And she stopped me from being killed at the party. I'm sure if she hadn't dragged me out of there Santana would have ripped me apart," she said with a little chuckle. Puck smiled, and the look he got in his eyes made Rachel a little nervous. She'd seen that look on his face before when they were making out on her bed, and he tried to cup her breast even though she had already pushed his hand away.

"So, how did you and Quinn hook up? 'Cause I gotta tell you, it is all kinds of hot," he said and she rolled her eyes. She let out a little huff as she mentally berated herself. She felt really stupid for believing he would actually be nice to her for a noble reason. This was Puck, and he only wanted one thing. She straightened her posture, ready to storm off like she was so famous for.

"I should have known that's why you were being nice to me," she said, and became even more annoyed when his expression changed to one of confusion. "Well, you can save your fake niceness and acts of bravery because it doesn't matter how nice you are to me, I'm never going to tell you the intimate details of my relationship with Quinn, ok? That stuff is private." She turned to storm off but she only got two steps before Puck grabbed onto her shoulder. She turned, ready to yell at him, but he took a step back and put his hands up in mock surrender and it made her want to hear him out.

"Hey, that's not what I meant. Sure, if you wanna give up the details, that's great. But I just wanted to know how you two started dating. It's not like any of us saw this coming," he said and her expression softened. She felt a little guilty for jumping to conclusions, but this was Puck after all. His behavior of the past made it impossible for her to take him too seriously, and maybe if he wanted people to treat him differently he should be a little more responsible.

"I'm sorry, Noah, I didn't mean to bite your head off. I guess I'm still feeling a little defensive from what happened earlier," she told him and he nodded his head a little in understanding. She let out a little sigh as she thought of the day she went to Quinn. It wasn't one of her best memories of the two of them, but it was important, and looking back on it filled her with a feeling of warmth she couldn't quite describe. "Quinn and I started seeing each other three months ago, but we decided to keep it a secret. It was her idea to go public, but that's not what you asked. I guess I should just explain it instead of avoiding."

_**Flashback**_

Rachel stood at the end of the hall watching Quinn as the blonde went to her locker to put her books away. It was already lunchtime, and Rachel had been building up the courage the approach the former cheerleader all day. Quinn had been avoiding her. Rachel understood it, but that didn't mean she was ok with it. Since the kiss she had wanted to talk to Quinn, but the blonde had fled the scene without even picking her song for the Glee assignment that week. But now wasn't the time to think about that. Now was the time to focus on the task at hand. She needed to talk to Quinn or she was going to go crazy, and she had a feeling being completely crazy and emotionally unstable would hurt her chances of getting a part in a Broadway play. No one likes working with the walking wounded.

"Quinn, I need to talk to you," she said as she approached the other girl. Quinn didn't even look at her, and Rachel's heart sank just a little. Was Quinn so ashamed of what they did that she could no longer make eye-contact with the brunette? And was she ashamed of kissing another girl or the fact that the girl was Rachel? The diva didn't know, and it hurt thinking that Quinn would be disgusted about what happened. She took in a deep breath, trying as hard as she could to stay calm, but it wasn't working as well as she had hoped.

"Now's not really a good time," Quinn said without looking at her. She was focusing all of her energy on putting her books away. It was as if she didn't put them in just the right spot, the entire locker was blow up. "People can see us." Her words cut Rachel like a knife, but she ignored it. Quinn was being defensive, and when the blonde got defensive she could be very mean and hateful. Rachel knew this more than most, but that didn't help cure the wound the tone of her voice left on her insides.

"Please, Quinn, we've talked in the hallway before. No one is going to notice," she said, and watched as the blonde clenched her jaw. Not always a good sign, but Rachel couldn't back down now. Not when it took her all week to build up to this confrontation in the first place. Quinn let out an agitated sigh, and turned to face the girl. She looked impatient, just like almost all of the other times she had talked with Rachel in the hallway. The brunette wasn't fazed by this. Quinn liked to make people feel like they were wasting her time. Or at least she used to when she was a Cheerio, but things were starting to change.

"Fine, just make it quick. I'm eating lunch with Santana and Brittany, and I'm already late," she said and didn't close the locker door. Rachel was a little thankful for that. The door being open gave them a little sense of privacy; she didn't feel as exposed, and it made her feel a little more brave. She knew that sounded stupid, but she couldn't help but think it. But now that her chance to speak her mind was here, she was starting to have some serious doubts about wanting to go through with this. She had practiced this part in the mirror a thousand times like any good actress when running lines, but she couldn't remember a word she had rehearsed.

"I need to talk to you about what happened the other day in the auditorium," she said, and she felt a little proud of herself. Short, sweet, and to the point. She didn't confuse the other girl by talking in endless circles, but maybe that would have been the way to go since Quinn looked even more agitated than before. She looked a little scared, too, which made Rachel stay. Seeing Quinn feel what she was feeling too made her a little more confident. In a weird way she was feeding off the other girl's insecurities, but she didn't want to dwell on the thought.

"There's nothing to talk about because nothing happened," she said, her jaw clenched tight, and the look in her eyes made Rachel tense up in fear. Now she knew exactly what Finn meant when he called this look "scary Quinn." But she wasn't Finn Hudson. She wasn't going to let someone just walk all over her because she was afraid of the consequences of going against them. She had been going against the grain for years. She wasn't about to back down now.

"Quinn, please, you kissed me, and then we made out," she said sounding calm and matter-of-fact. The other girl started to shift her weight, literally squirming at Rachel's words. Rachel had a feeling if the roles were reversed she would be doing the same thing, so she didn't hold it against Quinn. Her denial hurt, but she didn't let it affect her. She did let her insecurity show, however, thinking maybe if Quinn saw how scared she was then she wouldn't be so resistant. "I just need to talk to you about it, ok?"

"Look Rachel," Quinn said, with a little sigh, and the diva perked up a little. Quinn rarely called her by her real name, and she knew it meant something. She wasn't exactly sure what, but she knew it was important. "I got caught up in an emotional moment, and I reacted. It didn't mean anything, so let's just forget about it, ok?" She sounded almost desperate, and Rachel's eyes welled with tears at her words. She mentally berated herself for not keeping her emotions under control, but they were just too big to manage at the moment.

"If it didn't mean anything than why have you been avoiding me all week?" she asked, but the blonde didn't say anything. Rachel took her silence as cue to keep going. "Quinn, kissing you made me feel things I've never felt before with anyone. My head has been spinning all week. I mean, I have two gay dads so it's not like we haven't talked about this before, but you have me all confused. And I think you might be going through the same thing, or at least something similar."

Quinn let out a little sigh, and Rachel looked at her with pleading eyes to admit how she was feeling. "I don't know what you want me to say, Rachel," she said softly, sounding sympathetic and just as lost as the brunette. "Even if you're right, it's not like we can just start dating. We don't even like each other."

Rachel sniffled. Her tears finally won the battle, and fell down her face, smearing her makeup. She didn't care about that right now, though. All she could think about was the way she had been feeling the last couple of days, and all of the emotion she had been bottling up was finally coming to a head.

"I know that. I'm not suggesting we get involved romantically, but, Quinn, I've been crying myself to sleep every night all week because I'm so lost, and I don't know what to do," she said, her voice cracking with emotion as the tears continued to fall. She knew she was being overdramatic, and normally she didn't have a problem with it. She had a problem, however, being this vulnerable in front of Quinn. She was giving Quinn too much power, and it made her really nervous.

"I'm confused too," the blonde finally admitted. That little sentence filled Rachel with a huge sense of relief. She wasn't the only one messed up because of this. She wasn't the only one searching for answers to questions that seemed impossible to figure out. But just because Quinn admitted to having the same problem, it didn't mean she was agreeing to help the diva find a solution. "Alright, so how about we figure it out together? Nothing romantic or emotional. You still make me want to punch you in the face every time you open your mouth."

"Ok, but Quinn, what are we going to do?" Rachel asked, using the sleeve of her sweater to wipe her tears away. She knew she looked pathetic and she hated it, but she couldn't help but wonder if pity was one of the reasons why the Quinn Fabray was finally opening up to her. If it led to figuring this out then she didn't mind looking so miserable as much as she should.

"We're going to…explore this," Quinn said, sounding horribly uncomfortable. Rachel had never seen the girl act like this before, and it was strange. Quinn always seemed so confident, even when she was vulnerable she always maintained a sense of control of the situation. Now she seemed completely out of place, and it made Rachel feel a little special getting to see it. She didn't understand why, and she forced herself not to think about it. "People experiment all the time, it's nothing new. But you can't tell anyone. This isn't college. If people found out, we'd be lynched."

"Ok," Rachel said, sounding a little surer of herself now that she had a plan to focus on. It gave her a shred of stability to cling to, and she really needed that. "Experimenting sounds like a good way to figure this out." Now she was talking just to fill the silence, but Quinn didn't call her on it and she appreciated that. "My dads don't get home until six, and my ballet instructor had to go on bed rest, so why don't you come over, and we can start?" Quinn nodded a little, still looking so uncomfortable Rachel thought she would burst.

"That sounds good," she said and looked down at her watch. Her eyebrows furrowed and she let out another agitated sigh. "I have to go. Santana's going to wonder where I am if I don't hurry, and I can't handle a lot of questions right now."

Rachel nodded her head and watched as Quinn shut her locker door. She stood there for a moment with her hand on the cold metal, and Rachel knew exactly what she was doing. She was taking a moment to put her emotional guard back up.

"See you after school," Rachel said as she walked off, leaving Quinn behind. She felt a little bad just abandoning the other girl like that, but it made things easier. For who, she wasn't sure, but she knew if she had stuck around things would have gotten heated. Their emotions were raw and with their history, being near each other right now for a long period of time was not the best idea. Rachel just hoped she would be able to control her nerves otherwise this afternoon after school was going to be a horrible disaster.

_**End flashback**_

"And over time we ended up developing a strong emotional connection, and now we're dating," she said, and Puck looked at her with surprise written all over his face. She felt uncomfortable under his silence gaze, and she tried her best not to squirm. She tried as hard as she could to maintain a sense of control. "It's not a love story for the ages or anything. You know, nothing to write home about, but that's how it happened." When he still didn't say anything, Rachel's nervousness started to show. "Noah, why are you staring?" That snapped him out of it, and she was grateful for it.

"I'm sorry. I just can't imagine Quinn saying something like that. She's always been so uptight, and that's just freakin hot," he said, and she rolled her eyes. She shouldn't be surprised by his words, she was talking to Puck after all, but a little part of her was disappointed that he was so hung up on the physical aspect of her and Quinn's relationship. The bell rang causing the two to look around, and Rachel started to panic. "Oops, looks like we missed Glee Club."

"We were supposed to go over a set list for National's. Who knows what they picked without me," she said, sounding just as panicked as she looked. "It's alright. I'll just ask Quinn for a copy of it, and if I have any objections I'll talk to Mr. Schuster about it. I'm sure eventually he'll see reason." Puck was the one who rolled his eyes that time, but he didn't say anything. Telling Rachel not to be such a diva was like asking the earth not to rotate around the sun. He turned when he heard people walking towards them, and saw the other New Directions kids coming down the hall. At first he smiled a little when Quinn started walking towards them, but when he saw the look on her face, he felt nervous and afraid.

"What the hell is going on here? Puck, what did you do to her?" Quinn asked. When she first saw Rachel and Puck talking she didn't think much of it. That was until she saw Rachel's face, still puffy and kind of red from crying. If Puck did anything to her she would cut his balls off, that was just a fact. She got in between the two, staring Puck down with a glare so angry Puck could have sworn the rest of his hair was melting off.

"Chill out, I didn't do anything. We were just talking," he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender and taking a step back. He knew Quinn could be scary, but this was a whole new level of mean he never knew existed. It was clear the blonde didn't believe him when she took a step forward, getting into his personal space, and intimidating him despite their height difference. Quinn was not someone to fuck with, even if she was almost a foot shorter than him.

"Quinn, he's telling the truth. We were just talking," Rachel said, placing a hand on Quinn's arm. The blonde looked away from Puck and her gaze settled on Rachel. As soon as she was looking at the brunette the look in her eyes softened and her expression relaxed. Rachel knew she wasn't completely satisfied with that, but she didn't hold it against her. She was upset and seeing her like that made Quinn crazy. It made Rachel feel special that Quinn cared so much.

"Then why were you crying?" Quinn asked, her tone a little softer then when she'd spoken to Puck, but not by much. If it was one thing she hated it was being lied to – ironic, considering what she did to Finn, but growing up her house was full of lies, and she hated it. If Puck did something to her girlfriend, she wanted to know so she could make him pay. She hated the thought of Rachel lying and saying everything was ok. She hated the thought of the brunette making excuses for someone tormenting her and bottling up the hurt.

"Because some guy, I don't know his name, so asking who is pointless, called me a…," she couldn't even say the word, and thinking about it brought tears to her eyes again. "…called me a name, and it upset me." Quinn rubbed Rachel's arm knowing she wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection yet, and she didn't want to upset the other girl further. But then Rachel smiled, and the look in her eyes wasn't as sad. "But Noah didn't let him get away with it. He called him out for being a jerk."

Quinn looked over at him, surprised and a little embarrassed, and she had no idea what to say. "Thanks, Puck," she said sounding completely awkward. Again, to her surprise, all he did was nod his head and walk away, joining Mike and Tina as they walked out to the parking lot. "He isn't being vulgar like I thought he was going to. Something must be up."

Rachel laughed a little and pulled Quinn into a hug. Even though she wasn't completely comfortable showing affection in public, she needed this contact. Plus, since it was after school there weren't very many people around. "That's always a possibility. But I don't want to talk about Noah right now," she said, placing a soft kiss on Quinn's neck as the blonde returned the embrace.

They sat there in silence for a few moments while Rachel reveled in the comfort Quinn brought her. "Do you have anywhere you need to be?" The blonde shook her head no, and Rachel smiled a very devilish smirk. "Then why don't we get out of here? I could use a little us-time right now." She left another kiss on Quinn's neck, and it lingered. She could actually feel the other girl's heartbeat pick up speed, and it made her smile.

"I can't think of a reason why not," Quinn said, her voice sounding a little huskier than normal. The two held hands as they practically ran out of the building. Rachel couldn't believe how they were acting. It was like the whole world and everything bad in it just melted away whenever she was around the blonde. She hoped this feeling never faded and dreaded the thought of what might happen to them if it ever did.


	4. Chapter 4

Quinn put her lip-gloss back in her purse and sat down on Rachel's bed, waiting for the diva to return. Rachel was in the bathroom changing into something "more comfortable." In the entire three months they had been together this was the first time Rachel felt the need to change out of her skirt and into a pair of sweats. Quinn knew why, and it had everything to do with what happened in her room at the party. The blonde knew it was going to take time, and possibly some flowers and a gift, to heal the trust she had damaged.

"Sorry that took so long," Rachel said as she walked into the room. "Daddy called to let me know they won't be back until late. They were invited to a dinner tonight and are going to meet there after work instead of coming home first."

Quinn couldn't stop the smirk from pulling at her lips, and if she were being completely honest, she didn't really try. She slipped off her shoes and made herself comfortable on the bed. She sat against the headboard, her back resting on the soft pillows, and she held her arms out towards the brunette. "So, basically what you're saying is we have more time to spend together?" she asked in a mischievous tone.

Right after, she hoped it wasn't a stupid thing to say. She didn't want the diva thinking she was just using her for sex, but her behavior at the party and the comment just then really wasn't helping her make that clear. Fortunately for her, Rachel smirked and crawled over to her on the bed, cuddling against her, and rested her head on Quinn's chest. Quinn rested her chin on top of Rachel's head and gave the other girl a little squeeze.

"Why would we need more time? Are you planning on doing something really naughty?" the brunette asked in a tone that matched Quinn's, and the blonde smiled. She was so glad things were starting to get back to normal between them. The last thing she wanted was for the tension to fester and for Rachel to remain uncomfortable around her. But she was lucky, and didn't have to worry about that, and she felt relieved. She also felt like messing with the brunette and didn't hesitate to do so as soon as Rachel was really snuggled into her arms.

"Maybe I just wanted more time to hold you. I'm not some sex-addicted pervert, you know," she said sounding hurt, but she was doing it on purpose. She wanted to get a reaction from the little diva and twisting her words around was the easiest way to do that.

Sure enough, Rachel sat up a little, not enough to leave Quinn's arms, but enough so she could look into the green eyes she loved getting lost in. Her face was panic stricken and Quinn had to bite the inside of her cheeks to stop herself from laughing right then.

"I didn't mean it like that. I was just kidding around," Rachel rushed out in one large breath. But when she saw the smirk on Quinn's face, and the tense way she was holding herself ,she knew her girlfriend was trying not to laugh. She smacked the blonde on the thigh causing her to release the laughter she was holding. "It's not funny, Quinn. I really thought I hurt your feelings." She put her head back on Quinn's chest, pouting the whole time.

The blonde finally got her laughter under control and rubbed her girlfriend's back. "Aww, sweetheart, I was just messing with you. You are kind of an easy target. I can't help it sometimes," she said hoping Rachel wouldn't stay mad at her for long. Judging how long was almost impossible. There were days Rachel would be irritated at Quinn for one of her pranks for hours, and sometimes it went away in minutes.

Rachel sat up a little again, and she had a small smile on her face as she looked into Quinn's eyes. The blonde was a little confused by it; Rachel never forgave her this quickly, but she didn't let it show. "I love it when you call me sweetheart," she said, which made the blonde smile a little.

Rachel leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss on Quinn's lips. It was only a kiss in the sense that their lips were pressed together. They didn't add any pressure; it didn't turn into a passionate battle for dominance like most of their kisses did, and they didn't feel the need to make it into anything other than what it was.

They finally pulled back after several long moments, and Rachel couldn't help but lick her lips a little. "Cherry lip gloss? Are you serious?"

The smile that Quinn got on her face could only be described as devilish. "Well, you liked it so much at the party, I went out and bought some. Don't you like it anymore, sweetheart?" she asked sounding completely innocent. She knew Rachel was still a little mad about making out with Santana at the party. Quinn knew that because Rachel had talked about it the entire ride to school. And by that, she told Quinn that if the Latina even so much as hugged the blonde for too long, the diva would rip her eyes out. Rachel tried to move away from the blonde, but Quinn held onto her, not letting her get far. "I'm not joking. I didn't buy it to bother you. I really did get it because you liked it so much."

"Really?" Rachel asked, sounding nothing but skeptical. Quinn rubbed her back, and ran her fingers through her long, brown hair, and couldn't help but smile when Rachel let out a little moan when Quinn softly ran her fingernails over the other girl's scalp. She would never get tired of hearing that sound, and a little part of her couldn't wait to hear it when she was doing something else to cause it. But that would take a lot of time. She wasn't going to get any further with the other girl if she was so uncomfortable around her she changed into sweat pants instead of wearing her usual short skirt.

"Yeah, really," Quinn said, and placed a little kiss on Rachel's lips. It was short and sweet, and Quinn could tell just by the look on Rachel's face the other girl was a little disappointed that it didn't last longer. "Besides, Santana and I were just playing a game. You were the one who called her gorgeous. If either one of us should be threatened by her it should be me." She sounded dead serious, maybe even a little scary, but she had a small smirk on her face the entire time so Rachel didn't panic or feel like she was being backed into a corner.

"I was drunk, I didn't mean it," she said and snuggled up to Quinn.

Even if the blonde was only joking, there was a little part of her that was telling the truth. She was a little jealous that Rachel was attracted to the other girl, but she didn't dwell on it or let it get to her. Just because they were dating it didn't mean they weren't allowed to look at other people. As long as looking didn't turn into touching, she had no problem with who Rachel thought was hot. That didn't mean she wouldn't give her girlfriend a hard time about it every now and then. "Would it be possible to not talk about Santana anymore? I had a very traumatic day and right now I just want to spend time with my girlfriend and forget it ever happened."

"Yeah, we can do that," Quinn said and wrapped her arms around Rachel. She wanted to tease her again, to ask her when this "girlfriend" of hers was showing up, but she had already pushed her luck by the suggestive comment earlier and making Rachel think she had upset her. Now was not the time to make jokes about Rachel being a cheater. She did, however, make a mental note to put that in her back pocket for the next time the brunette said "my girlfriend" instead of saying "you."

They sat in a comfortable silence, and the only way Quinn knew Rachel hadn't fallen asleep were the little purring like noises she made every time the blonde would run her fingernails along Rachel's scalp. She wasn't doing it constantly. She was mostly rubbing the diva's back, hoping to bring the girl some comfort after her emotionally stressful day. She knew if she kept at it the girl would fall asleep, but she was totally ok with that. She actually really loved the times they didn't talk, or kiss, or do much of anything, but lie together in silence.

That silence was broken, however, when Rachel started to laugh. Quinn could tell by the sound of it that the diva was trying her hardest to hold it back, and was failing miserably.

"What's so funny?" she asked, and Rachel shook her head. Quinn couldn't help the smile at the sound. The diva's laughter was infectious and always had been for the blonde girl. "Come on, tell me. What's running around that head of yours that's so hilarious?"

Rachel sat up a little and looked into Quinn's eyes. They were practically gleaming, and for a second it literally took Quinn's breath away. She knew that sounded dumb and corny, but the brunette looked so peaceful, so beautiful, and she was in awe.

"Today when Noah and I were talking, he asked me how we got together, and I told him most of it," the diva said and she lost some of her perkiness when she saw Quinn frown. There was nothing funny about that story, but it wasn't the story of their agreement that had made her laugh. She rushed to explain before Quinn got upset with her. "I was thinking about it just now, and it reminded me of later on that day when you came over." She couldn't help but laugh when Quinn flushed a bright pink, and broke eye contact. She looked down at her lap, with a small smile on her lips. "See, it is funny!"

"It isn't funny, that was so awkward, and embarrassing," the blonde said, and Rachel laughed a little more when Quinn covered her face with her hands, as she were hiding from the girl leaning against her. The longer Quinn "hid" the harder Rachel laughed until the blonde got tired of it. She wrapped her arms back around the brunette, and she had a slight agitated look on her face. "You know, I wasn't the only one who was really embarrassed. You actually asked if you could kiss me." Rachel's laughter died instantly, and she had a look of shock on her face.

"I didn't want to do anything you weren't comfortable with, Quinn. Besides, you bit my lip," she said, and Quinn's eyebrows furrowed. "And not in that sexy way when we're kissing and you put a little pressure on my lip with your teeth, and pull on it a little. You almost drew blood." Quinn's mouth dropped open a little in surprise. She didn't think Rachel would hold that against her, but apparently the gloves were coming off, and the claws were coming out.

"I bit you because you were so afraid to touch me you were barely running your fingertips over my skin and it tickled," Quinn said, and she started laughing. The ridiculousness of the conversation finally caught up with her. Rachel sat there looking confused for a moment, but the sound of Quinn's laughter was infectious and the little brunette couldn't stop herself from joining. They laughed so hard, tears started to run down their faces. Rachel leaned on Quinn's chest again, no longer able to hold herself up, and the blonde wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. It didn't take long for them to calm down, and they both let out big sighs of relief when they could finally breathe properly.

"Hey, Rachel?" Quinn asked, breaking the comfortable silence, with a little smile on her face. The brunette didn't look up, but instead let out a little "hmm?" sound. "Is it ok if I kiss you?" The diva sat up just enough to look Quinn in the eyes, and she looked slightly confused. Hadn't the blonde just teased her about asking for a kiss? When she saw the look on Quinn's face, though, she understood what she was doing. She got a little smirk on her face, but made it go away. She pretended to be a little nervous. She wouldn't hold the blonde's gaze for more than a few seconds at a time, and she played with the hem of her shirt, and when she spoke her voice had a slight tremble to it.

"Why, yes, Q-quinn, that would be more than ok," she said, and the two leaned towards each other. At first the kiss the hesitant, and tense, as if they were two twelve-year-olds just learning the mechanics. They both relaxed, however, momentarily forgetting their game. When Rachel's tongue gently grazed against Quinn's bottom lip the blonde snapped out of her Rachel induced haze and pulled back. "Was that too much too fast? Because I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but you seemed to be ok with the kissing." Quinn couldn't help but smile at the brunette's rambling.

"It was fine, but is it ok if I put my hand here?" Quinn asked, and slid her hand to Rachel's hip. That was something else the brunette asked that first day, and Quinn had found it adorable. She didn't understand why the diva was asking permission to touch a hip, but it had made her smile, just like Rachel was smiling now. The brunette simply nodded her head and kissed the former cheerleader again. Getting back into the game, she kept the kiss simple, and a little hesitant just like before. The diva was the one to end it this time, and she put her lips right next to Quinn's ear, a little pretending to be too embarrassed to look her in the eyes.

"Is it ok if I cup your breast?" she asked, and slowly ran her hand up the blonde's shirt. She stopped at her ribs, her fingertips barely brushing against the other girl's bra. Quinn sucked in a big, surprised breath of air and quickly exhaled it. She didn't think Rachel would want to go this far. She thought the brunette would be too shy after what happened at the party over the weekend. It was just two days ago; they had barely done more than hold hands since, and now the diva had her hand up Quinn's shirt asking if she could cup her breast. It seemed a little fast to the blonde, but there was no way she was going to complain or stop to ask questions.

"Yes," she breathed out, and Rachel pulled back just enough to look into her eyes as she slid her hand under Quinn's bra and cupped her girlfriend's breast. Quinn's eyes went a little wide. She wasn't expecting any under the bra activity to take place. Her eyes closed, and her mouth opened a little when the diva started moving her hand. Quinn had never let any of her boyfriends get this far. With Puck it was different. She was too drunk to remember the details, and she was pretty sure he was too busy getting up her skirt to pay any attention to what was lying under her shirt.

"Is this ok?" Rachel asked, her voice sounded a little shaky. Quinn couldn't help but smile. She had to give it to the diva. Things were starting to get kind of heated, but she was dedicated to the game they were playing. Quinn opened her eyes and looked into Rachel's dark orbs, even darker with arousal, the pupils were large and her breathing was shallow, and Quinn knew she wasn't acting. She really was feeling a little self-conscious. She nodded her head, and kissed Rachel deeply trying to show her exactly how ok with the touch she was.

She decided to take a chance and see just how bold Rachel was willing to get. She knew she would have to keep her hands above the brunette's clothes. Rachel may be willing to touch the blonde, but Quinn had a feeling she wasn't going to be as open to receiving the same. Not after what happened the last time the former cheerleader took a chance and went under her clothes. So instead, she slid her hands down Rachel's back, and squeezed the diva's ass over the cotton fabric of her sweatpants. They both moaned at the contact. Rachel broke the kiss with a smirk. She wanted to get Quinn back for all of the times she messed with her just for the fun of it, and she knew exactly how to do that.

"Oh god, Santana," she moaned against Quinn's lips. The blonde's eyes flew open, and she glared up at the diva. Rachel tried as hard as she could to stop herself from laughing. She even bit the insides of her cheeks, but a few sounds made it through her vocal cords. Quinn looked furious, and Rachel thought for a moment that this would be the day she finally lit someone on fire with just her gaze alone. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself." She finally broke down and started laughing. Quinn grabbed onto the diva's arm and pushed the brunette off of her.

"That's not funny, Rachel. I would never do something like that to you," she said, and scooted away from the brunette on the bed. She lay down, rolling onto her side, and faced away from the diva. Rachel was still laughing, but Quinn could tell she was trying to get herself under control. She wasn't as mad she was acting, but she wanted to see how much control she could gain. From the sounds of it, Rachel wasn't too concerned. She felt the bed next to her depress, and Rachel's shadow fell over her body as she little diva leaned over a little, trying to get a look at her girlfriend's face.

"I thought it was very amusing," she said and Quinn rolled her eyes. Rachel let out another little giggle but forced the rest of her laughter back when she saw the blonde's shoulder tense. Maybe the former cheerleader was mad at her after all. "In fact, I think you're more upset because I came up with the idea before you did." She ran her hand through Quinn's silky hair, and took it as a good sign when the blonde didn't pull away. "Besides, you're the one who wore the cherry lip gloss."

"Well, you're the one who thinks Santana is gorgeous," Quinn bit back, trying to sound upset but she was a little worried she wasn't pulling it off. "I'm always going to have this nagging voice in the back of my mind reminding me of that. And the thought of you comparing me to her, how do you think that makes me feel?" She knew she wasn't being convincing because if she were really upset she would be facing Rachel and staring her down. She rolled her eyes again when she heard Rachel let out another little laugh, but she didn't move from her spot.

"Satisfied to know that I think you're one of the most beautiful girls at that school, and in this entire town. And that includes Santana. In fact, Santana is about ten on the list, and yes you're number one," she said, and that got the response she was hoping for. Quinn rolled over on her back and she had a very surprised look on her face. Rachel made sure to keep her expression serious as Quinn looked up at her with confusion.

"You have a list of the girls you think are beautiful?" she asked. She knew it had to be made up, but Rachel did like her lists. She knew for a fact that Rachel had actually sat down and made a pro and con list about being gay. Quinn never got to read it, but the diva had confessed to making one. There was also a list of all the new experiences she needed to have as a gay woman. The top three were: go to a pride parade wearing a t-shirt letting everyone know she was gay and not just there out of support for her dads, go to a lesbian bar, and sing a Melissa Etheridge song in front of the Glee Club. So it wouldn't surprise Quinn if she also had a list about the other girls in school.

"No, I don't, but the look on your face was priceless!" the diva practically squealed and started laughing. Quinn rolled her eyes again, but this time she didn't stop herself from joining in. The sound of Rachel's laughter was too contagious to resist. "Now I understand why you're always messing with me and pulling these juvenile pranks. It's really fun." Quinn reached out and grabbed onto Rachel's arm, and pulled the smaller girl on top of her. Rachel stopped laughing just long enough to leave a short kiss on the blonde's lips. "Mmmm, Santana." She moaned out again but this time with a mocking tone. "Rock my world, Cara de Angel."

"Did you just speak Spanish?" the blonde asked, her eyes glazing over a little at how sexy that sounded coming from the diva's mouth. Noticing the look on Quinn's face, the brunette blushed, and became a little insecure. Those words had slipped out of her mouth before she really knew what she was saying. She had wanted to call Quinn that, but she never found the appropriate time. By the look on the other girl's face she didn't really care that they were said as a joke. And judging by how flushed Quinn now looked, those words were having more of an affect than Rachel thought they would.

"Yes, I did," she said, and broke eye contact with Quinn. Rachel acting shy like this was nothing Quinn hadn't seen before. When they were getting to know each other, and talking about more personal subject matter, the brunette would often not meet her gaze, and would hide her face behind her hair. She was doing exactly that right now, and Quinn gently rubbed the diva's back hoping to coax her out of her shell. "I hear Santana call Brittany that, and I thought it sounded pretty and asked her what it meant. It means angel face, and I thought that was a suiting nickname for you."

"You learned how to speak Spanish for me?" she asked, her tone was light and playful and she had a huge smile on her face. The other girl looked even more embarrassed, but Quinn couldn't help but gush a little. "Rach, that's probably the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me."

The little diva finally met the former cheerleader's eyes, and what Quinn saw confused her. Rachel looked almost irritated by the blonde's words, and Quinn became very nervous. What did she say that was so offensive? She had no idea, and she didn't know how to handle the sudden shift in Rachel's mood.

"If learning how to speak two simple words in Spanish is the sweetest thing anyone's done for you, then your past suitors were clearly slacking in wooing you," she said, her eyebrows furrowed and her voice full of determination.

Quinn had to bite her cheeks to keep the smile off of her face. She didn't think now was the time to tease the brunette for saying things like "suitors" and "wooing." "No wonder you have always been so hesitant in the past to people's advances. Obviously no one has ever taken the time to show you just how special you are. Well, prepare to have your feet swept, Quinn Fabray." She leaned down and kissed the blonde, and Quinn decided it was time for a little payback.

"Mmmm, Santana," she moaned, and arched into the girl on top of her. Rachel pulled back, and stared at her with a blank look on her face. The blonde couldn't help but laugh a little. Her green eyes shined with mischief, and Rachel had to use all of her willpower not to crack a smile. She loved seeing that particular look on Quinn's face. It was becoming less rare the more time they spent together, and she was so amazed every time she saw it. Quinn always looked so carefree whenever she act like this, and after everything that's happened to her in the last year and a half, she didn't think something like that was possible.

"You're right, it isn't funny at all," the diva said, and tried to sit up. She was going to storm out of the room in a huff, and go down to the kitchen, possibly make a snack, and then wait for the blonde to beg for forgiveness. That plan was ruined, however, when Quinn wrapped her arms around her back, and held her where she was. She could have struggled, but seeing the look of pure joy on the blonde's face was enough to keep there, straddled on top of her girlfriend, and feeling like the luckiest person in the world.

"I don't know, I'm starting to see the hilariousness of it," Quinn said in a teasing tone, and ran her hands through Rachel's long locks. Playing with the diva's hair was always a sure fire way of getting back on her good side. She just hoped Rachel never figured out why she would suddenly start running her fingers through her hair, or the whole thing would probably backfire on her in the worst way possible. "Just as long as we don't tell Santana what we've been doing or we'll never hear the end of it."

The brunette nodded her head in agreement, and they both started laughing as they imagined what the Latina's reaction might possibly be.


	5. Chapter 5

Just an author's note. Wanted everyone who's only on the Story Alert list to know that I added the sequel to this titled Out Of My Way.


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